7 Gifts Of HS Flashcards
What are the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit?
Where are they found in the Scriptures?
1-wisdom,
2-understanding,
3-counsel,
4-fortitude,
5-knowledge,
6-piety,
7-Awe of the Lord.
The seven gifts are found in the Book of Isaiah[5] 11:1-2
Others include the seven petitions of the Lord’s Prayer, the beatitudes, the seven last words from the cross, the seven deadly sins, and the seven virtues.[14]
In Summa Theologiae I.II, q. 68, a1, Saint Thomas Aquinas says that four of these gifts (wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and counsel) direct the intellect, while the other three gifts (fortitude, piety, and fear of the Lord) direct the will toward God.[28]
In Summa Theologiae II.II, Thomas Aquinas asserts the following correspondences between the seven Capital Virtues and the seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit:[29]
The gift of wisdom corresponds to the virtue of charity.
The gifts of understanding and knowledge correspond to the virtue of faith.
The gift of counsel (right judgment) corresponds to the virtue of prudence.
The gift of fortitude corresponds to the virtue of courage.
The gift of fear of the Lord corresponds to the virtue of hope.
The gift of Reverence corresponds to the virtue of justice.
To the virtue of temperance, no Gift is directly assigned; but the gift of fear can be taken as such, since fear drives somebody to restrict himself from forbidden pleasures.
What is Wisdom?
Wisdom is considered the first and the greatest of the gifts. It acts upon both the intellect and the will.
According to St. Bernard, it both illumines the mind and instills an attraction to the divine. the difference between the gift of wisdom and that of understanding: “The latter is a view taken by the mind, while the former is an experience undergone by the heart; one is light, the other love, and so they unite and complete one another.”[20] A wise and loving heart is the perfection of the theological virtue of charity.
What is Understanding?
Understanding helps one relate all truths to one’s supernatural purpose; it further illuminates one’s understanding of Sacred Scripture; and it assists us to understand the significance of religious ritual. This all gives us a profound appreciation for God’s providence.[21]
What is Council?
Counsel functions as a sort of supernatural intuition, to enable a person to judge promptly and rightly, especially in difficult situations. It perfects the cardinal virtue of prudence. While prudence operates in accord with reason as enlightened by faith, the gift of counsel operates under the guidance of the Holy Spirit to illuminate the will of God.[22]
What is Fortitude?
Fortitude is often identified with courage, but Aquinas takes its meaning to also encompass endurance. Joseph J. Rickaby describes it as a
willingness to stand up for what is right in the sight of God, even if it means accepting rejection, verbal abuse, or physical harm. The gift of fortitude allows people the firmness of mind that is required both in doing good and in enduring evil.[23] It is the perfection of the cardinal virtue of the same name.
What is Knowledge?
as is humanly possible, to see things from God’s perspective. It “allows us to perceive the greatness of God and his love for his creatures” through creation.[24] Knowledge: The gift of knowledge allows one, as far
What is Piety?
Piety accords with reverence. A person with reverence recognizes his total reliance on God and comes before God with humility, trust, and love. Thomas Aquinas says that piety perfects the virtue of religion, which is an aspect of the virtue of justice, in that it accords to God that which is due to God.[25] In a series of talks on the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, Pope Francis said that piety is a recognition of “…our belonging to God, our deep bond with him, a relationship that gives meaning to our whole life and keeps us resolute, in communion with him, even during the most difficult and troubled moments”. Francis goes on: “Piety is not mere outward religiosity; it is that genuine religious spirit which makes us turn to the Father as his children and to grow in our love for others, seeing them as our brothers and sisters.”[26]
What is the Awe or Fear of God?
Fear of the Lord is akin to wonder (or awe). With the gift of fear of the Lord, one is made aware of the glory and majesty of God. At a June 2014 general audience Pope Francis said that it “is no servile fear, but rather a joyful awareness of God’s grandeur and a grateful realization that only in him do our hearts find true peace”.[27] A person with wonder and awe knows that God is the perfection of all one desires. This gift is described by Aquinas as a fear of separating oneself from God. He describes the gift as a “filial fear,” like a child’s fear of offending his father, rather than a “servile fear,” that is, a fear of punishment. Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. It is the perfection of the theological virtue of hope.
